


Branching Paths

by Avistella



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Undertale Genocide Route, Writing Trade, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21701434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avistella/pseuds/Avistella
Summary: The world resets once more, and it will continue to do so, but...
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	Branching Paths

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AstroOrbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroOrbit/gifts).



> My part of a trade with @AstroOrbit

In the Underground, there was no such thing as day or night—or at least, not in the same concept as humans on the surface. In the Underground, there was only darkness, sometimes illuminated by whatever the inhabitants of that damp place can find as their source of light. They are fated to be trapped in that perpetual prison until the last human SOUL can be collected by their just king.

And so, the monsters idly spend their time, going about their daily lives and waiting for that promised day to finally arrive. For the day they can be free. Because... despite what humans might believe, the monsters they so fear and dislike are able to dream and wish just like them.

_"Heh... If we ever get out of here we should go and stargaze."_

Who was it that said that? _Why_ did they say that? _To whom_ did they say that?

"..."

_"Hey, you know how you owed me? Promise me that if we get to the surface that we'll stargaze."_

_**...Together.** That was what the promise was supposed to be about. It was supposed to be done **together** —_

Aputa's breaths come out heavy, and she's barely able to support her own weight as the accumulated fatigue weighs down against her shoulders. But even so, she can't falter here. She can't fall here. Not now. Not now that everybody's gone! Everybody she loved and cherished... brutally murdered. By this _sick_ human standing before her right now.

The human— _or would it be more apt to call them a demon?_ —seems to be struggling as well. Aputa has been giving it her all, so it's no surprise that this human is barely able to stand on their own two legs. Although this child's eyes are obscured by their bangs, Aputa can feel their desperation and anger directed towards her. Well, that's fine. After all, Aputa was DETERMINED to put a stop to all of this.

_Undyne... Papyrus... Sans..._

They are no longer of this world. If Aputa were to fall now, then even Asgore—the one she admires for his strength—will surely die as well, and then... And then...

_—No._ Aputa can't let those thoughts get to her. She needs to finish this. She needs to put an end to what her beloved friends could not, and she needs to protect the one person she looks up to.

"I'm not going to let you keep doing what you want," she spits out, the venom in her voice making her words tremble and quake. The human doesn't respond, unfazed by the hatred they're receiving from the one standing in their way. "You think _you're_ angry? **You don't know true anger.** "

Aputa may not have personally known all of the monsters that the human has killed so far, but she doesn't need to know them to feel sickened and disgusted by her enemy's behaviour up to this point. If the human was angry that things weren't going their way, then Aputa was beyond livid from having her cherished friends and safety of her home taken away from her, leaving her all alone in this damp and cold prison of the Underground.

That's why she will fight. _**And she will win.**_

* * *

Somehow, Aputa was able to manage it. She was able to do what Sans and the others could not, and for one short, bittersweet moment, she feels proud of herself. Yet, there is nobody she can share that sense of pride with. There is nobody she can brag about her victory to or anything. There is nobody else there. No matter how much she wishes for it, _nobody will come._

Aputa's victory, however bitter on her tongue, is short-lived. Without even a single shred of doubt or regret, the human... _resets the world_. Time falls apart and constructs itself all over again, and Aputa... Aputa is caught in the middle of it. Perhaps it's because of the way "this world" is "structured", but "this world" and all "the others" before that crumble and lose all sense of cohesion.

Aputa is left in a void and empty space. It's a strange sensation as she seemingly floats around the area, feeling as though is both "there" and "not there" at the same time. It's too difficult to put into words or make sense of, in truth.

Eventually, Aputa's eyes open once more. For a second, she's confused. She feels as though she's forgetting something before her memories come rushing back to her in a rush, knocking the breath right out of her. _That's right... Everybody died..._ Or at least... That's how it was _supposed_ to be.

But the Underground is bustling with the usual life and laughter of the monsters who call this place their home. Aputa is disorientated and confused. Where is she? Is this... Is this _real_? She wants to believe it is. It _has_ to be.

She aimlessly wanders around the area for a while with no destination in mind. She's still trying to process everything and get her bearings. Maybe she'll come across a familiar face and then it'll all make sense to her. Just as she thinks that, to her surprise, she hears an all too familiar voice, followed by an all too familiar laugh. It belongs to Papyrus. It's _definitely_ him. There's nobody else in the Underground who can sound so endearingly obnoxious like him.

Without a second thought, Aputa heads towards the voice with great speed. If Papyrus is there, then maybe Sans as well... She tries to push down the feeling that starts to bubble up in her chest. She doesn't want to get her hopes up. It would break her if this is all a dream in the end.

But it can't be a dream. After all, right in front of her are the two most annoying—and endearing—people in the world in her eyes. They're alive... _They're **alive**._ Aputa is so caught up in the moment that she doesn't even realize that she's frozen completely on the spot, and she misses her chance to make her presence known. Maybe her mind is playing tricks on her. It wouldn't be the first time her mind's betrayed her.

Whatever conversation the two siblings were having come to an end, and Papyrus turns to leave. Sans watches him walk away for a while just to make sure his brother doesn't get into any trouble before eventually turning around in the opposite direction. The direction which Aputa is in.

It almost looks like Sans is surprised to see her standing there, but it's difficult to tell what's really on his mind at times. Aputa remains there, unmoving and unflinching. Her mind is torn between believing that this is real or if this was just some kind of cruel and twisted joke. In the end, she deludes herself into believing that what she sees before her eyes is real. What she went through before... What she went through was a _nightmare_.

_—Yes, that had to be it._ What happened before must have surely been nothing more than just a dream. A dream or a prank or whatever. Whatever it was, _it wasn't real_. It _can't_ be real. Aputa _refuses_ to believe it was real. That heartache... That torment... That loneliness, desperation, and despair... They were all just a dream.

Everybody is still alive and well. _Sans_ is alive, and that's all that matters. Aputa's throat constricts, and nothing else matters in that moment. Memories of days stupidly spent bickering with each other, sharing fun facts together, making promises together... They fill her mind, and before she can even think twice about what she's doing, Aputa is running up towards Sans and throwing herself onto him.

Sans, seemingly confused, catches her as she wraps her arms around him in a crushing hug. Sans doesn't really know what to do in this situation and resorts to what he knows best, and that is making jokes. He tries to crack one of his lame jokes, but before he can even deliver the punchline, Aputa is sobbing and wailing as she holds him in an even tighter embrace. Now how should the skeleton react to this?

Throughout Aputa's heartbroken wails, Sans is able to catch snippets of words and phrases here and there, but they don't make much sense to him, and he's starting to feel extremely awkward. He clumsily pats Aputa on the back to quell her crying, but the familiar and missed feeling of it only makes her break down even more.

She can't help it. She never thought that she would miss Sans and his stupid jokes this much. There's no denying that Sans was an important person in her life, but she never realized just how much of a crucial role he played in her life until he was gone.

_But he isn't gone._ After all, he's _here_. He's here, and Aputa doesn't care about anything else. She's still crying, embarrassingly enough, and Sans tries to get her to calm down by pulling a cookie out of his pocket.

"Here. A cookie."

"—Huh? What?"

It's such an absurd and random thing to just pull out and give away, it stuns Aputa silent for a second. Nevertheless, she follows the flow of the situation and accepts the treat. She stares at it for a moment, and she cocks her head to the side. Somehow, this cookie feels oddly familiar to her. She feels as though she gave this same cookie or at least something similar to it to a friend of hers in the past.

Aputa doesn't really get it, but for some reason, this seemingly random cookie gives her a sense of HOPE. _...Why? Why does she feel as though... things may go a different route this time?_

**Author's Note:**

> You can find more of my work on [my Tumblr](https://avistella.tumblr.com/)


End file.
